Locomotive drive



NOV, 19, 1946. ALBEN 2,411,350

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE Filed June 10, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q Q w WITNESSES:F IZVEggR 54 ran/r en.

ATTOR Y NOV. 19, 1946. ALBEN 2,411,350

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE Filed June 10, 1943 2 Sheets-Shet 2 fig? 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTO EY Patented Nov. 19, 1946 2,411,350 LOCOMOTIVEDRIVE Frank L. Alben, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse ElectricCorporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication June 10, 1943,

Serial No. 490,313

2 Claims. (Cl. 105-113) My invention relates, generally, to locomotivedrives and, more particularly, to drives for steam turbine locomotives.

The utilization of a steam turbine for driving a locomotive provides agreater horsepower outa higher operating speed.

which may be economically manufactured and installed.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide for transmittingpower from one turbine to two or more axles of a locomotive.

Another object of my invention is to provide a reversing mechanism for aturbine-driven locomotive.

A further object of my invention is to provide for operating thereversing mechanism of a turbine-driven locomotive.

Other objects of my invention will be explained fully hereinafter orwill be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In accordance with of thereby dividing the load between the two geartrains. The forward and reverse gears are carried by bell crank frameswhich are actuated by pistons to throw the proper mesh to operate thelocomotive in either the forward or the reverse direction.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of my invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, ofa portion of a locomotive structure embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a view, partially in plan and partially in section, of thestructure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the portion of a locomotive structure showntherein comprises axles I and II, having wheels I2 mounted thereon, anda turbine I3, having a driving shaft I4 for driving the locomotive. Theaxles gears in and out of t the gears I0 and II may be disposedin alocomotive frame I 5 in the usual manner. The turbine shaft I 4 may berotatably mounted in a gear case I6 which may be supported by the frameI5 in a suitable manner. I i

As explained hereinbefore, it is not practical to transmit relativelylarge amounts of power,

such as that required to operate a modern locomotive, through a driveapplied to only one axle. Therefore, I have provided a drive capable oftransmitting the power developed by a single turbine and applied thedrive to a locomotive with a wheel arrangement of the 4-8-4 type whichhas a total four of which are ings.

The driving axles are of eight driving wheels, only shown in the presentdrawhalf of the total horsepower output of the turbine to each set oftwo axles.

As shown,the drive comprises a pair of pinions I8 and I9 secured to theshaft I4, intermediate gears 20 and ZI which mesh with the pinion !8,intermediate gears 22 and '23 whichmesh with the pinion I9, a pinion 24which meshes with an axle gear 25 for driving the axle III and a pinion26 which meshes with an axle gear 27 for driving the axle I I. Theintermediate gears 2i! and 22 and the pinion 24 are secured to anintermediate gear shaft 28, thereby constituting a reduction gear unit.Likewise, the intermediate gears 2| and 23 and the pinion 26 are securedto an intermediate gear shaft 29, thereby constituting a reduction gearunit for the axle II. As shown, the pinion 24 is disposed on the shaft28 between the gears 26 and 22. Likewise, the pinion '26 is disposed onthe shaft 29 between the gears 2| and 23.

In this manner the power developed by the turbine I3 is divided betweenthe two sets of reduction gears and transmitted to the two sets,

of driving axles. The axle gears 25 and 21 are preferably of a resilienttype, such as disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 490,311,filed June 10, 1943.

In order to provide for reversing the locomotive, the shaft 28, whichsupports the gears 26 and 22 and the pinion 24, is mounted in a bellcrank frame 3|. Likewise, the shaft 29 which supports 2| and 23 and thepinion 26 is mounted grouped into 2 sets of two each and the turbine isgeared to the two ried by the bell crank frame 3!.

yoke 44.

in a similar bell crank frame 32. The bell crank frames are bothdisposed to pivot about the shaft As shown, reversing gears 33 and 34,which mesh with the gears 2!! and 22, respectively, and a pinion 35 aresecured to a shaft 36 which is car- Likewise, reversing gears 31' andv'33, which mesh with the gears 2| and 23', respectively, and a pinion33' are securedto a shaft il which is carried by the bell crank frame32.

In order to disengage the pinion 24 from the gear 25 and engage thepinion 35 with the gear 25 a piston 42 is disposed in a cylinder 63. Thepiston 42 is connected to the shaft36 by means or a Likewise, a piston iis disposed in the cylinder 43 and connected to the shaft M by means ofa yoke as. When a pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinder 43 througha pipe'd'l, the pistons :12 and as are moved outwardly toactuatethebellcrank frames 3.! and 32 about the shaft. l4, on which theyare pivotally mounted.

In this manner, the pinions 2A 7 engaged from the gears 25 and 2'5;respectively, and the pinions 35 and 39 are engaged with the gears 25and 273, respectively, thereby reversing the locomotive. 1

The pistons iZ and 45 may be returned to the position shown in thedrawings and retained in this position during forward operation of thelocomotiveby admitting a pressure fluid to the cylinder 43 throughopenings as and as which are connected to a pipe 5 i. In this manner,the pressure on the pistons 42 and 45 will retain the pinions 24 and 26'in mesh with the gears 25 and 2'! during forward operation. Likewise,the application of pressure to the pistons 42 and 45 in the oppositedirection will retain. the pinions 35 and 39 in mesh with the gears 25and 21, respectively, during reverse operation. The admission of apressure fluid to the pipes 4'! and El to secure the desired operationsmay be controlled by suitable valve mechanism under the control of theoperator of thelocomotive.

It will be seen that the bell crank frames 3! and 32 maintain the properdistances between the shaft l4 and the shafts 2B and 29 to keep thegears and 2! in mesh with the pinion l8 and the gears 22 and 23in meshwith the pinion l9. Like- 'wise, the gears 33 and 3 3 are kept in meshwith the gears 26 and 22, respectively, and the gears 31 and 38 are keptin mesh with the gears 21 and 23, respectively, at all times. -Thereversing of the locomotive is accomplished by simultaneouslydisengaging the pinions 24 and 26 from the gears 25. and 21,respectively, and engaging the pinions and are dis- .bodimentslof theinvention may 4 35 and 39 with the gears 25 and 21, respectively, in themanner hereinbefore explained.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have provided adriving mechanism which is capable of transmitting a relatively largeamount of power from a single driving or power unit to a pluralityoflocomotive axles. Furthermore, the mechanism herein. disclosed may beutilized to reverse a single power unit, such as a steam turbine, whichcan be operated in "only one direction.

Sincenumerous changes may be made in the above described constructionand different embe made without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoingdescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

i claim as my invention: m 1'. In a locomotive driving mechanism, thecombination with a pair of axles and wheels securedto each axle, of anaxle gear for-driving each axle, a driving shaft disposed between theaxles,- a pinion secured to said shaft, reduction gear unit-sintermeshing with said .pin-

ion and each of said axle gears, a reverse operating:

gear unit driven by-each of the forward gear units, a bell crank framefor'supportingreach:

forward gear unit and its associated reverse gear unit, said bell crankframes having arms pivoted about. said driving shaft, and fluid pressuremeans for operating said bell crank frames to said forward gear unitsfrom said axle gears and engage said reverse gears with sa'id':axle gearunits, said fluid pressure means permitting relative movement betweenthe bell crank frames.

2. In a locomotive driving mechanism, .the.combination with a pair ofaxles and wheels secured to each axle, of an axle gear for driving eachaxle,

a driving shaft disposed between the axl'esfav pinion secured to saidshaft, forward operating and reduction gear units intermeshing with saidpinion and each of said axle gears, a reverse. reduction gear unitdriven by each operating and of the forward gears, a bell crank framefor: supporting each forward gear unit and its associated reverse gearunits, both of said bell crank frames having arms pivoted about saiddriving shaft, and

-.fluid pressure means for simultaneously actuating.

both bell crank frames about their pivot point to disengage said forwardgear units from said axle gears and engage said reverse gears with saidaxle gear units, said fluid pressure means permit-'- ting relativemovement between the frames.

FRANK L. ALBEN. 7

forward operating and disengage.

bell crank"

